Following a successful bid to the National Lottery Community Fund, I was pleased to meet with Dr Pushpinder Chowdhry and Dr Toyeba Mushtaq from Tongues on Fire.
Tongues on Fire is a company that was founded in Pinner who produce the annual UK Asian Film Festival, with screenings at venues such as the Harrow Arts Centre in Hatch End and the BFI on London Southbank.
I was interested to hear about how the funding will be used to provide internships and work experience for young people at the film festival, presenting those who are not in employment or in training with an opportunity to improve their skills and job prospects.
Furthermore, I also learnt about their work around mental health, and how they promote the arts as a beneficial tool for young people affected, as well as creating awareness and tackling the stigma attached to mental health through the art produced.
With a background in leading children’s services within local government improving opportunities for young people is something I feel passionately about. I was pleased to offer my continued support to the project and look forward to keeping in touch.
You can find out more about Tongues on Fire's work here.
